High Hopes for Hoyt Street?
We’ll confess to not having a great grasp of retail rents around the borough, but, with the economy tanking, we are increasingly interested to see how stores, and the cost of renting them, react. A friend of ours in Boerum Hill recently commented to us that he’d noticed a handful of stores for rent on…
We’ll confess to not having a great grasp of retail rents around the borough, but, with the economy tanking, we are increasingly interested to see how stores, and the cost of renting them, react. A friend of ours in Boerum Hill recently commented to us that he’d noticed a handful of stores for rent on Hoyt Street across from the Gowanus Houses and, perhaps overly-optimistically, noted that he thought the stretch might be ready for an upgrade in retail offerings. One of the spots currently for rent is the former Abreu Grocery at 244 Hoyt Street; the monthly asking rent for the 950-square-foot space is $3,000. Do any locals share this optimism? Ideas for businesses that could work?
244 Hoyt Street [Rapid Realty] GMAP
Photo by Kate Leonova for PropertyShark
what business can survive on a small corner space for 3K
How many storefronts on Hoyt are drug fronts or illegal gambling fronts? Seriously, corner groceries don’t make that much money that so many can survive in that close proximity. Not saying this place was ever doing anything illegal, but pretending Hoyt Street doesn’t cater to the worst elements of the Gowanus Houses is a bit delusional.
And there’s no way a boutique or trendy food store ala the stuff on Smith Street would move in there. Maybe a decent slice pizzeria or a luncheonette. Or another grocery. But not much else.
This was working well as a small simple deli that served both “sides” of Hoyt very well. The landlord got greedy and booted them for drinking beer in the back room. Now I’m sure the landlord has shed some tears in his own beer – the place has been vacant for a year. It can only function as a small scale deli. The family that ran it previously was wonderful. That kind of business person can not be replaced – they were not there to get rich. Now, everyone wants some easy way to pluck the $20 dollar bills out of the pockets of silly kids who are seduced by the realtor ads calling Smith St “hip & trendy ”
(think Stinky & Smith & Vine) . nb. this is the 4th broker on the bldg.
I stand corrected Brooklyn chicken. I just finished “lush life,” I’ve never actually read “Clockers.”
The movie Clockers was filmed in Gowanus Houses, but the book was written about a fictitious NJ housing project. Just saying.
I walk by Gowanus Houses a lot, and it’s not that dangerous during the day. But it’s still a crummy place to get high rent for a business.
I walked by there on daylight one Saturday, I would rather walk though Detroit at midnight. It is like Hamsperdam in the wire. Richard Price wrote “clockers” about those projects.
been gone all day…
since I’ve been asked why its insane.
Go there, see the corner. Theres your answer.
wine bar – specializing in mad dog
Chinese take out?